70 JOURNAL, BOMBA Y NA TURAL HISTORY SOCIETY,Vol. XVIII. 



beyond Hunza for anything except an occasional sheep, and fowl. 

 Having settled on my date of departure, in compliance with his request, 

 I advised the Political Agent, Gilgit, of the probable date of my arrival 

 there, to enable him to make arrangements for my further progress, 

 and on May 21st I weighed anchor at Srinagar to drop down the 

 river in my boats to Bandipur, accompanied by my faithful Norwegian 

 elk-hound Stoob, well known in the Happy Valley, and a favourite 

 with every one, but especially so with his master. 



The road from there to Gilgit is too well known to need description, 

 and the 13 marches are given in the various guide-books, while the 

 difficulties of the road vary every year according to the snowfall of the 

 previous winter, as to whether it has been an early or late one, the 

 latter being bad. When nearing Gilgit, I was met by an orderly with 

 an invitation from Major Gurdon, CLE., D.S.O., Political Agent, 

 to put up with him, which I gladly availed myself of, and I stayed there 

 a day and then was lucky enough to have his company as far as Baltit, 

 since he was going to Nagar on duty and asked me to go with him, as it 

 was only a short distance out of my way and he would then go on to 

 Baltit with me, and see me start. From Gilgit to Baltit by the direct 

 road is 4 marches, a capital bridle-path all the way, but on from the 

 latter place, where I parted from my hospitable host on June 17th, the 

 upper track, which I had to take owing to the rivers being in heavy 

 flood, is an execrable one for most of the 7 marches to Murkhushi, the 

 last camp on the south side of the Passes leading to the Pamir. The 

 arrangements Major Gurdon had made for my march up were most 

 excellent, and there was no hitch anywhere, coolies, etc., always ready, 

 and at Murkhushi I found yak waiting for me, under the charge of a 

 capital man, Dowut by name, and, as I found out afterwards, quite a 

 swell in his way. Although the altitude of Murkhushi is close on 

 12,000 feet, there is a small forest of willow trees there, and as dead 

 wood abounded, 1 indulged in a roaring camp-fire, quite an unwonted 

 luxury, for fuel is scarce after Baltit. 



There are 2 passes from Murkhushi, the Killik and the Mintaka, 

 and Dowut recommended my going by the latter, the most easterly, 

 there being less snow on it, and we crossed without much difficulty, 

 though it was a rough climb for the yak over huge boulders of 

 rock, and on the 25th June I reached the Pamir, camping at Mintaka 

 Agbaz. Dowut had a large Kirghiz tent ready for me, nicely car- 

 peted, and actually furnished with bentwood chairs, and having 



